Candlemass - Candlemass

The long-awaited reunion of the classic Candlemass line-up resulted in this eponymous and artistically minimalist 2005 release that was eagerly snapped up by doom metal fans, and while it doesn't quite live up to the high standards of the first four studio albums, this is still a finer imitation of that sound than you'd get anywhere else. Actually, to call it a mere forgery would be to overlook the differences that inevitably come with fifteen years away, and either as a sign of the times or the band's own changed ideology, the sound here is noticeably darker and even heavier than before, with less emphasis on melody and a more downbeat performance all-round. ...  Read the complete review